UPDATE: LowTierGod and CeroBlast have been handed bans from all Capcom events for more information on this story click here.
Christina "CeroBlast" Tran has been banned from all EVO events after Tweets and video emerged that showed the Street Fighter V player using racial slurs.
This comes just days after CeroBlast got into a spat with Dalauan "LowTierGod" Sparrow after a Street Fighter V exhibition match broadcast live on stream, where the latter made transphobic comments - which ultimately led to him getting banned from EVO and other FGC events.
Now it is CeroBlast's turn to face the music after LowTierGod unearth Tweets and clips from CeroBlast's Twitch channel that showed the player liberally using the "N-word".
CeroBlast has subsequently apologised for using the slur, saying she had become "accustomed" to the word after growing up "in NYC".
"Starting today I will try my best to remove this word out of my vocabulary." She said in a Tweet. Adding, "If this made you felt differently about me, I am sorry."
I grew up being around NYC peeps / being in NYC. I'd visit my bestfriend every summer during high school.
— CeroBlast @ Living under a rock (@BlastCero) April 19, 2020
Naturally being accustomed to the racial slur N word.
Starting today I will try my best to remove this word out of my vocabulary.
Joey Cueller. President of EVO, responding to the Tweet stating that CeroBlast was no longer "welcome at any Evo events for the foreseeable future." Referring her to the EVO code of conduct which explicitly states that the attendees must uphold and that these standards are to be met outwith events.
You are also not welcome at any Evo events for the foreseeable future. For more information, please see our Code of Conduct: https://t.co/AmrpUTXrbJ
— Joey Cuellar (@MrWiz) April 20, 2020
She was also banned from attending Combo Breaker and East Coast Throwdown events with both organizers set to make efforts to introduce a unified code of conduct to be implemented across a number of FGC events.
In solidarity with Combo Breaker we will also ask you to refrain from attending the next East Coast Throwdown. I look forward to working together on a more unified Code of Conduct
— Dragoon'ing with the boyz (@WllyP) April 19, 2020
CeroBlast later tweeted that she had been "banned from all events starting next year." Adding, "and that's okay."
I have been officially banned from all tournaments starting next year. And that's okay.
— CeroBlast @ Living under a rock (@BlastCero) April 20, 2020
The entire controversy going back to the incident with LowTierGod has left the community divided, and some of the "talking points" are simply not worth airing, but some are asking why some people's conduct is deemed unacceptable while others seemingly get a pass with Twitter user @UnknownPulse3 asking if FGC legend Justin Wong will be held to the same standards.
Can I trust that you guys will also address @jchensor@JWonggg and @nycfurby for using this slur in the past? pic.twitter.com/23PoYtZvp0
— Elsename (@Unknownpulse3) April 20, 2020
The FGC community could do well to look long and hard at this past week's events, because how they respond and ultimately move on from this could go a long way to defining who, and what is acceptable in their community, and the perception of it from the outside looking in.